Jillian Michaels Says These 6 Easy Tips Will Help You Lose Weight Like You're On 'The Biggest Loser'

Listen to the O.G. of weight loss—she knows her stuff.

If there's one woman who can whip you into shape, it's The Biggest Loser O.G., Jillian Michaels. The TV star, fitness guru, and author spent 10 years as a trainer on NBC's hit weight-loss show and has built her career around empowering people who want to lose weight in a healthy, sustainable way. (Sidenote: Have you seen her abs?).

On top of that, She has over a million followers on Instagram, where she shares tongue-in-cheek inspirational quotes and fitness tips alongside success stories from people who have followed her fitness programs (like Body Revolution and BODYSHRED, and her Jillian Michaels app).

So, yeah, she knows a thing or two about what it takes to lose weight and get in shape. With that in mind, we reached out to the guru herself to get her best advice for dropping pounds and keeping them off.

Alyssa Zolna

For her, the basics are: Don't overeat. Don't eat "crap" that isn't food. And make sure you get enough sleep. "The rest is B.S.," Jillian says.

Yup, hitting the hay at a decent hour is surprisingly important when it comes to weight loss. Columbia University researchers discovered that people who sleep fewer than seven hours a night tend to weigh more, struggle to lose weight, and gain more weight as time goes on. So aim for seven to nine hours of sleep a night.

"Often people do one or the other, but not both," Jillian says. "When it comes to weight loss you simply must work out and eat right to get results."

She says to think of your body like a car. If you aren’t working out or eating right you are in reverse and probably actively gaining weight. If you're working out but not eating right (or vice versa) you can get stuck in neutral or weight loss moves at a glacial pace. If you're doing working out and eating right, the weight actively comes off at a steady pace. (Speed up your progress towards your weight-loss goals with Women's Health's Look Better Naked DVD.) Make sure you're not slacking in either of those areas, she says.

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Jillian says that the "best" workout you can do is whatever sweat sesh you'll do consistently. That being said, here's what she recommends for weight loss: HIIT intervals (high-intensity interval training), resistance training, plyometrics, bodyweight training, and movements that incorporate multiple muscle groups, like squats, lunges, burpees, and pushups. These exercises burn the most calories during and after the workout, she says.

They also help you get into shape the fastest, which is a huge bonus, she says. "My Jillian Michaels app incorporates all these techniques into every workout—modified, of course, for beginners—to ensure you get the best results in the fastest amount of time."

Try these 10 strength moves for ultimate weight loss:

Alyssa Zolna

In fact, Jillian suggests giving up drinking entirely. "Get on the wagon," she says. "Alcohol is the worst when it comes to fat metabolism and can actually inhibit it by 73 percent."

Research has shown that when you've consumed alcohol, your body prioritizes metabolizing booze, which means burning fat and carbs take a backseat. Experts also believe that alcohol breaks down amino acids and stores them as fat. All bad news if you want to lose weight.

The number-one mistake people make when it comes to weight loss is following an intense fad diet that is not sustainable, says Jillian. She says these drastic eating plans ultimately damage your metabolism and instigate a vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting.

"The key is how you lose [the weight]" she says. "If you lose weight through common-sense eating choices and physical activities you enjoy, maintenance is far easier." And that means you're much less likely to put the pounds you lost back on.

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